East African Business Notifier

The recent, record-breaking  $100 billion  replenishment of the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) is a significant milestone.  While the final tally fell short of the $120 billion that I and other African leaders called for in April at the IDA21 Replenishment Summit in Nairobi, it nonetheless represents a critical step forward. The new funding offers hope to millions and signals that our global partners are committed to addressing the immense challenges we face. The Nairobi summit not only underscored the importance of the IDA for development financing; it also called attention to Africa’s pivotal role in solving global crises such as climate change.  Over the years, the IDA has been a lifeline for many, offering the kind of long-term, concessional financing that empowers countries to invest in critical sectors such as health, education, and infrastructure. By responding swiftly during crises and leveraging $4 in capital market funding for ever...

  A group of economists came together earlier this year to complete the largest analysis of hurricanes’ economic effects on the United States to date.  One of the most striking findings was that businesses with only a brick-and-mortar presence that were in a hurricane’s path suffered a 56% drop in sales for roughly three weeks, whereas those with an online presence experienced a far shallower decline – just 23%. The clear takeaway is that nearly every business – from a hardware store in North Carolina to a corner shop in Nairobi – can strengthen its resilience to climate change by joining in the digital economy. The global effort to counteract climate change has expanded rapidly in recent years. The energy and automotive industries are overhauling supply chains to boost  uptake  of clean technologies.  Governments are implementing policies to accelerate the green transition, from the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to the United States’ ...

RUBiS Energy Uganda has  officially launched RUBiS Gas, and now available in Rubis service stations countrywide.  The launch, held at RUBiS Nalukolongo, marks a significant milestone in providing Ugandans with a safe, efficient, and an environmentally friendly cooking solution RUBiS Energy Uganda has established itself as the supplier of Uganda’s supplier of the best cooking gas brand: RUBiS Gas. With the promise to “ Light Up Your Life ”, RUBiS gas maintains an unwavering commitment to ensuring safety, reliability, superior product features, and delivering value to all customers.  Olivier Gatera, Country Manager of RUBiS Energy Uganda said, RUBiS Gas is not just a product but it is a promise of safety, convenience, and quality.  "Every aspect of RUBiS Gas, from the cylinders to the filling process and the distribution network has been designed with the end user in mind,” said Gatera.  “RUBiS Energy Uganda has always been at the forefront of delivering innovativ...

BY STEVEN MWESIGE A flurry of incidents in the news of cybersecurity breeches in recent weeks are a cause for concern, but with a better understanding of cybersecurity need not be our new reality. In the old days, when transacting with your bank it was mostly face-to-face transactions. You would walk into the bank, line up to be served, meet a bank official who would help you transact whatever you wanted. That looks very crude these days where only two in ten transactions are carried out over the counter at PostBank, a statistic that is mirrored across the industry. The adoption of automation and Information Technology (IT) has been good for industry clients, who need not come to the banking hall anymore to transact business, but can carry out their business 24 hours, seven days a week in the comfort of their homes. This increased convenience has improved efficiency on a personal and macro level, driving the economy to new heights. This new convenience has led to an increase in industr...

Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC) and Chester Zoo have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance efforts in conserving the critically endangered Mountain Bongo. This collaboration stems from shared aspirations and purpose to prevent extinction of wildlife. Under this partnership, MKWC and Chester Zoo will focus on monitoring, research and knowledge transfer and other critical areas to secure the future of the Mountain Bongo.  This collaboration includes a comprehensive approach to research and monitoring of wild populations with the application of innovative real-time AI technology, developed by partners, ConservationAI at Liverpool John Moores University.  The initiative also seeks to enhance conservation education and capacity-building through staff exchanges and knowledge transfer. By combining Chester Zoo’s global leadership in conservation and MKWC’s local expertise, the initiative seeks to bolster the survival of the Mountain Bongo bot...

The Huawei ICT Competition Awards Ceremony took place at the Ministry of Education and Sports Headquarters with a call to    the victorious participants and all the young people who are privileged to be skilled in this field, to build on to and leverage ICT training, with innovation which is today's competitive advantage in every sphere of society.  John Chrysestom Muyingo, Uganda's State Minister for Higher Education who  delivered the speech of The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataaha Museveni, also  further expressed sincere appreciation to the Chinese Embassy in Uganda under the leadership of H.E Ambassador Zhang Lizhong and the Management and Staff of Huawei Technologies Uganda Limited, for their significant contribution to the development of Ugandans and their communities through initiatives like the Huawei DigiTruck, the Huawei LEAP Digital Talent Training Program and the Huawei Internship Program. "Maama and the entire ministry ...

 Fueled by the clean-energy transition and surging gold prices, demand for critical minerals and metals is rising at an unprecedented pace.  This trend has supercharged mining activities, posing a serious threat to biodiversity and vulnerable populations, especially indigenous communities. To mitigate the impact and stave off the worst, coordinated global action is more urgent than ever. To be sure, minerals and metals mining is vital for the energy transition and global economic growth. However, it also jeopardizes the ecosystems that sustain life, leading to habitat destruction and fragmentation, deforestation, water and soil pollution, wildlife poisoning, food insecurity, and watershed loss.  Indigenous and local communities often bear the brunt of this crisis, which threatens their livelihoods and their right to a clean and healthy environment. At the same time, recent studies project that demand for critical minerals, largely driven by the accelerating pace of the gr...